Issues with local council

angie610m

I'm 40 with hypermobility syndrome, fibromyalgia, asthma, ibs, an operated knee that failed to recover and depression.

I have had a bungalow once before with same council now. There are reasons I left it. I won't say here, but issues with a neighbour that was unpleasant.

My health has deteriorated over recent years. My upstairs neighbour is a nuisance. The council will not do anything. I cannot sleep and it affects my health even more so.

I've had a medical to be moved. Yet as of my age they are refusing me a bungalow even though I've had one before, was younger and my health wasn't as bad then as now.

I'm currently writing a letter to the housing. Is there anywhere I can get support? Any advice? Or any one know if I have a case? I will be speaking to my drs and asking for a supportive letter too. 

angie610m

Also to add they said they have used a report from my OT. Last I had an ot out was in 2021 for a path not a move. Which has no relevance to this. 

poppy123456

You commented on another thread earlier and said the last time you were given a bungalow was 9 years ago, maybe the age rules have changed since then, 9 years is a long time. There are age restrictions for those due to the shortage across the country. 

You can request an up to date needs assessment by referring yourself here.
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/social-care-and-support-guide/help-from-social-services-and-charities/getting-a-needs-assessment/

Other than that have you looked into exchanging with someone?

angie610m

@poppy123456 There is still a rule that can be override if need a bungalow younger. However they are not accepting my health will nor recover. They are progressive illnesses and will never recover. Also the fact I have declined in health. Never heard of that nhs needs assessment. It is not done via social services here. But an housing OT that came out in 2021 to access a need for a path not a move. And they said they used an ot report... which my last was in 2021. So how can they use that? 

woodbine

Maybe 9 years ago there were more bungalows to be had?

angie610m

@poppy123456 that's for social services. They don't help with housing. And currently I'm waiting on my pip to be sorted. Capita are doing a paperbased assessment currently. So I've been on hold to apply for social services. 

Our social services will not help with housing. They will just help me live independently in this too small of a property, with no help about my nuisance neighbour. Which offsets my ibs, and causes anxiety, affects my joints and bed bounds me. 

They've gave me a medical to say I need to move due to my health and be closer to family for care and support. And a need of a bigger place. But are not willing to change the age thing to offer a bungalow which they've admitted they can do. And admitted as I've had a bungalow before and was younger then I should. 

What I'm looking for is advice on how to complain. Support (advocacy). Thank you though. 

angie610m

@woodbine might be a possibility. However, my health declines more when I live under nuisance neighbours. I physically and mentally cannot accept living under anyone else. I may as well live in this property and decline more so as the council are just going to put me in a place that is probably 10 times worse. I know as the area they are advising I move to is notorious for it. I moved out that area after living and being brought up in the area all my life. I got out the area in 2018 and I know it has worsened. So I am reluctant to move back. But to be settled and to live a quiet life and help my health I know a bungalow will be better for me. My GP has agreed to this too. If I was able to cope with the stress and the restless nights and the intimidation I receive off my neighbour then I would not be moving. I really don't want to be in the same predicament or worse... 

poppy123456

angie610m said:

@poppy123456 that's for social services. They don't help with housing. 

It's for an Occupational Therapist, they will visit your home and assess your needs. They can make recommendations to your LA for rehousing needs. I've been successful with this twice in 2 completely different areas. My most recent was for where I currently live and moved in, in mid Jan 2024. 

I applied for the housing list in April 2023 and was placed into band D, which is almost no chance of being rehoused. After having a needs assessment where adaptions were recommended but landlord refused my OT recommended a move due to health conditions and current home at that time no longer suitable due to declining health.

My OT sent the assessment report to the LA and I filled out a medical form. I was then moved up the list to urgent medical priority in mid August 2023. I placed 5 bids on adapted properties and was offered a 2 bed house at the beginning of Dec 2023. I viewed it a week later and then accepted. I signed the tenancy agreement and collected the keys on 18th Dec. They fitted a stair lift about 5ish weeks later. 

angie610m

@poppy123456 ah see we have two lots of ots at out council. We have the housing council which is meant to do this. And when your medical form is in they are meant to send someone out. Which is another matter, as I put my form in in Feb, they said it would be 22 weeks to be assessed. It took 5 weeks and no OT sent out. They've used the report from 2021 instead. Then the link you've sent we have social service ots and all they do is provide aids. I don't know what has happened here. Thank you though

angie610m

To add they've given me priority banding and need of urgent need to move. Yet I am unable to live under anyone. I barely sleep as it is. This is now keeping me awake. As the thing is moving me into a bungalow was due to neighbours and issues with community bins as they are too high for me and could not lift and was straining my joints. However since then they've put in properties with my own bins but if I bid or accept a maisonette it will be communal bins again. 

noman

It's odd how councils differ so much,i've been on my local housing register for 18 months in the PND band, since January I have bid on 16 properties and my rank was always over 20 when the listing ended.

I decided to contact Independent living to see if I could be assessed for housing,i waited around 10 days and got a call last Tuesday,the call lasted around 30 mins and I was told that I would be placed on the AHR by Friday just gone.

Although I will still be in the PND band being on the AHR will give me a better chance of getting a property.

     

wkd

angie610m said:

I'm 40 with hypermobility syndrome, fibromyalgia, asthma, ibs, an operated knee that failed to recover and depression.

I have had a bungalow once before with same council now. There are reasons I left it. I won't say here, but issues with a neighbour that was unpleasant.

My health has deteriorated over recent years. My upstairs neighbour is a nuisance. The council will not do anything. I cannot sleep and it affects my health even more so.

I've had a medical to be moved. Yet as of my age they are refusing me a bungalow even though I've had one before, was younger and my health wasn't as bad then as now.

I'm currently writing a letter to the housing. Is there anywhere I can get support? Any advice? Or any one know if I have a case? I will be speaking to my drs and asking for a supportive letter too. 

I hear you. I am in the same situation with neighbours, one upstairs, one next door. I  have applied to a different council and although I have multiple disabilities and my psychologist says I need to move as a matter of urgency they have kept me in the lowest band. It's affected me so badly that I no longer go out my front door and have developed fibromyalgia that I didn't have before.

The council I applied to put me in the lowest band which I contested, they basically totally ignored my request to look at the banding and ignored my disabilities and how living here adversely affected me,  so upon the advice of CAB I made a formal complaint.

The council phoned me and said I could not complain, but when I rang up the Government Social Housing Ombudsman they said that it was not correct I could complain. I haven't chased it up yet as I don't have the energy.  

Perhaps you can ring CAB if you haven't already and perhaps you could ring the Government Social Housing Ombudsman for some advice? 

angie610m

@wkd I'm sorry you are going through that. How rude of them to tell you that you cannot complain. I hope you get some energy soon to chase the ombudsman.

Thank you, its on a list to do but as it's weekend I cannot do anything until Monday. The council called me Thirsday and emailed me yesterday. The only thing I've done so far is tell them I'm taking it further. And ask them what ot report they used and how can they use an outdated report and one that was on about a path not a move. 

Seems like the councils don't help with disabled people anymore. 

angie610m

@noman what is independent living? Is that's something for your council or can anyone call? I'm not sure what PND and AHR mean. 

Yeah it seems like councils differ. 

noman

Independent living (may not be in all areas) is a service that helps with adaptions etc in your home,my assessment was to see what help I needed with my housing needs.

I see that some councils have A,B,C,D bands etc, i'm up North near Manchester,PND band is preference need band which I'm in,AHR is adapted housing register which I am now on.

Although I'm now on AHR and still in PND band it could still take some time for me to be offered a property but it does better my chances.

angie610m

@noman thank you for explaining. Our system is ABCD etc. I've been given a band B urgent. But want to put me in a similar property and there a load of druggies etc in the area they want me to move back to. I had a couple of those low rise flats before and they was never suitable for my needs. 1, at front door there is a large concrete step which I struggled to get up and down. 2. The bin issues. 3. Neighbours who are not nice and even though I kept myself to myself the property was spoilt by it and affected my health. They don't seem to put you in a place that's quiet or has other people with disabilities in. And if I bid I don't know what I'm bidding on, it could be the worse block. And the only way they solved the issue was putting me in a bungalow. I've been in this property almost 3.5 years. I've done everything to solve the issue with my neighbour. And she will not listen. One issue is she has her dryer on at 2am which is situated in her bedroom which is above mine. She's not a decent neighbour. The council have told her to not put amenities on after a certain time. She followed their advice for 2 weeks and it started again.

I had to go into hospital a few weeks ago for feeling dizzy. Which turned out to be sinusitis I was told I needed rest. Did I get rest? I did not. My sinuses are still not right now... and they want to make it worse by putting me in a similar property? 

Luchia

Hey 

Sounds really rough what you are going through, Could you ask them why they allowed you to have a bungalow before?

The age restrictions can definitely be bypassed under certain situations as I got a lovely large 2 bedroom bungalow with private front and back garden, We moved in just under 2 years ago and we are only in our 30s, The property we had before wasn’t able to be adapted by the OT and I explained to them I wouldn’t be comfortable living in another flat so was given highest priority(B* + Urgent Medical) and it was added to my account that only bungalows would be suitable, It took a total of 7 weeks(only placed 2 bids) to get the property, Although I will admit we had an unfair advantage(Friend works for council housing department so we were pushed up the queue quite rapidly) but without her help it’s unlikely we would have got this place as the demand for this area is ridiculously high(really lovely area and no estates nearby).

angie610m

@Luchia hi yes I have asked them they said they don't understand it either. When Monday comes I'm getting in touch with whoever I can to get the help as I cannot cope living in a flat anymore. I know they can change the age... 

Luchia

angie610m said:

@Luchia hi yes I have asked them they said they don't understand it either. When Monday comes I'm getting in touch with whoever I can to get the help as I cannot cope living in a flat anymore. I know they can change the age... 

Each council works differently but the one I’m with are very strict with the age restrictions, only under very limited exceptions do they allow it 

angie610m

Update: well they emailed me today and said I need up-to-date medical evidence about my mobility. You cannot get up to date evidence once diagnosed. I've explained all this. And I don't know what to do now.

Kimmy87

Would your GP write a supporting letter, with emphasis on mobility problems?
As private work you'd have to pay but would be worth it.